REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the implementation of  Article 45 of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on information measures relating to the common agricultural policy
Date: 2019-12-17
Institutions: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Subjects: EU financing, EU initiative, co-financing, common agricultural policy, dissemination of EU information, public awareness campaign

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 17.12.2019  COM(2019) 634 final  REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the implementation of  Article 45 of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on information measures relating to the common agricultural policy              {SWD(2019) 438 final}  
 
 
I. 

INTRODUCTION 

This  report  concerns  the  implementation  of  information  measures  relating  to  the  common 
agricultural  policy  (CAP)  for  2017  and  2018,  under  Article  45  of  Regulation  (EU)  No 
1306/2013  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  17   December  2013  on  the 
financing,  management  and  monitoring  of  the  common  agricultural  policy1  (hereinafter  'the 
Regulation'). 

Article 45(1) first  subparagraph of the Regulation states that information measures  financed 
"shall aim, in particular, to help explain, implement and develop the CAP and to raise public 
awareness  of  its  content  and  objectives  to  reinstate  consumer  confidence  following  crises 
through information campaigns, to inform farmers and other parties active in rural areas and 
to promote the European model of agriculture, as well as to help citizens understand it. Article 
45(2)  last  subparagraph  states  that  these  measures  "shall  also  contribute  to  the  corporate 
communication of the Union's political priorities in so far as those priorities are related to the 
general objectives of this Regulation". 

Information measures financed fall into two main categories: 

-  Those  submitted  by  third  party  organisations  for  co-financing  under  the  European 

Agricultural Guarantee Fund - EAGF (grants); 

-  Those  at  the  initiative  of  the  Commission  and  financed  at  a  rate  of  100%  under  the 
European Agricultural Guarantee Fund - EAGF (direct actions/public procurement). 

According  to  Article  45(5)  of  the  Regulation,  a  report  on  the  implementation  of  the 
information measures under the Regulation shall be presented to the European Parliament and 
the Council every two years. This is the eighth such report2. 

In  the  2017-2018  period,  the  Commission  intensified  its  corporate  communication  activities 
on  the  basis  of  its  ten  political  priorities,  with  a  special  emphasis  on  investment,  economic 
growth and jobs. Resources were pooled from different spending programmes in order to fund 
communication priorities based on the general objectives of the European Union. During this 
period,  Commission  departments,  including  DG  Agriculture  and  Rural  Development  (DG 
AGRI),  continued  to  contribute  to  the  execution  of  this  corporate  approach.  The  corporate 
communication  campaigns  rolled  out  in  2017  and  2018  were  designed  to  highlight  how  the 
EU delivers, empowers and protects citizens. The focus was also on raising public awareness 
about current and future challenges and on the need to build a more united, stronger and more 
democratic union. 

This corporate communication approach is central to DG AGRI's communication strategy for 
the 2016-2020 period. Within this framework, information measures are defined each year in 
annual action plans. 

More information  on the direct  and indirect  actions are to  be found in  the Commision Staff 
Working document accompanying this report. 

1 Official Journal of the European Union, OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 549. 

2 COM (2003) 235 final of 8.5.2003; COM (2007) 324 final of 13.6.2007; COM (2009) 237 final of 20.5.2009;  
COM  (2011)  294  final  of  25.5.2011;  COM(2013)  645  final  of  20.9.2013;COM(2016)  83  final  of  23.2.2016; 
COM(2017) 777 final of 19.12.2017 

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II. 

BUDGET 

The budget made available for information measures under budget line 05 08 06 (enhancing 
public  awareness  of  the  CAP)  originally  foreseen  in  the  financing  decision,  was  EUR  8 
million  in  2017;  and  EUR  8  million  in  2018.  (In  addition,  in  the  framework  of  the 
Commission  corporate  communication  actions  during  the  period,  8.480.000  EUR  were  co-
delegated  from  DG  AGRI  to  DG  Communication  (DG  COMM),  which  is  responsible  for 
managing the Commission's corporate  campaigns, in 2017 and  8.700.000 EUR in 2018. 

The  breakdown  of  the  budget  earmarked  between  public  procurement  (actions  taken  at  the 
initiative of the Commission) and grants (co-financed actions) was as follows: 

2017: public procurement (4.5 million EUR) (56.25% ) – Grants (3.5 million EUR) (43.75 %) 
2018: public procurement (4 million EUR) (50%) – Grants (4 million EUR) (50%)   

Execution of the 2017 measures reached 98.3% in terms of commitments and 90.2% in terms 
of payments.  

Execution  of  the  2018  measures  reached  99.9%  in  terms  of  commitments;  the  figures  for 
payments  on  2018  measures  were  not  yet  finalised  at  the  time  of  drafting  this  report  as 
payments could still be made until 31 December 2019. 

III. 

BREAKDOWN OF ACTIONS FINANCED 

The focus of direct  and  indirect  communication  actions in  2017 and 2018 was primarily on 
issues  related  to  the  preparation  of  the  reform  of  the  common  agricultural  policy  and  the 
Multiannual  Financial  Framework  (MFF)  sectoral  legal  proposals.  There  was  a  concerted 
effort during this period to raise awareness and engagement on the future of the CAP among 
stakeholders, policy-makers, and citizens across the EU. In addition, efforts were intensified 
to further develop synergies with different partners in the field of communication, within the 
Commission  services  and  with  other  EU  institutions,  with  the  national  authorities  and  other 
stakeholders. 

In  2017,  the  Commission  consulted  widely  on  the  simplification  and  modernisation  of  the 
CAP  so  as  to  maximise  its  contribution  to  the  College’s  ten  policy  priorities  and  to  the 
Sustainable  Development  Goals.  A  broad  public  consultation  took  place  in  the  first  half  of 
2017 which encouraged stakeholders,  including non-agricultural  actors, to  have their say on 
the future of the CAP3. This  public consultation generated a big public response, with  more 
than  322  000  contributions.  Subsequently,  an  important    stakeholder  conference  with  more 
than 500 participants was held on 7 July 2017 in Brussels. This facilitated debate on the ideas 
submitted  by  governmental  and  non-governmental  organisations  and  citizens  in  view  of  the 
preparation of the Commission communication on the future of the CAP. 

The  communication  on  the  “Future  of  Food  and  Farming”  was  adopted  on  29  November 
20174. Information measures around the Communication (and the subsequent legal proposals) 
were  accompanied  by  considerable  press,  social  media  and  audiovisual  support.  In  the 
following days and months, with the support of DG COMM, the Commision Representations 
in the Member States, national authorities and stakeholders, DG AGRI embarked on a series 

3 https://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/consultations/cap-modernising/2017_en 

4 COM (2017) 713 final of 29.11.2017 

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of outreach meetings with the general public and stakeholders at national and regional level. 
The  aim  was  to  discuss  the  ideas  put  forward  in  the  Communication  on  how  best  to  take 
advantage  of  the  opportunities  ahead  for  European  agriculture  while  addressing  current  and 
future  challenges,  including  climate  change,  price  volatility,  and  the  need    to  support  the 
sector in adapting to a changing environment. Over a five month period, up to 50 events were 
organised  with  over  3,300  participants  –  citizens,  stakeholders,  senior  decision-makers  and 
media – many with an important multiplier effect in their Member State and region. Feedback 
from  participants  showed  this  exercise  was  useful  for  policymakers  in  the  context  of  the 
preparation of the MFF sectoral legislative proposals on the CAP. 

The major policy initiative of 2018 was the adoption on 1 June of the legislative proposals on 
the future CAP in the framework of the MFF package5 . In the context of the Commission’s 
overall  corporate  approach  to  communicating  the  future  MFF,  DG  AGRI  intensified 
communication  efforts  to  raise  awareness  of  the  legal  proposals.  This  included  a  series  of 
outreach  events  led  by  the  Commissioner  for  Agriculture  and  rural  development,  and  DG 
AGRI  officials  in  the  Member  States.  Information  efforts  were  accompanied  by  a  social 
media campaign and included extensive press, online publication, and audio-visual activity. 

The  willingness  of  Commission  representatives  to  engage  in  consultation  and  dialogue  was 
very  much  appreciated  by  citizens,  stakeholders,  decision-makers  and  NGOs.  Presentations 
were frequently followed by very interactive question and answer sessions. Over eighty such 
events  took  place  in  the  Member  States  from  June  to  December  2018.  More  than  7000 
persons  participated,  many  with  an  important  multiplier  effect  in  their  Member  State  and 
region  (Ministers,  parliamentarians,  MEPs,  leading  stakeholders,  NGOs,  officials,  senior 
decision-makers and media). 

The exercise helped increase understanding of the Commission’s objectives as outlined in the 
MFF  CAP  proposals.  It  furthered  the  general  objectives  of  the  Commission’s  corporate 
communication approach, including to listen, and engage in dialogue with civil society and the 
general public on EU values  and  the impact of  EU  actions.  

DG AGRI continued during this period to actively contribute to the corporate communication 
campaigns developed by DG COMM - #InvestEU, #EUandME, EU Protects. It also worked 
with  DG  COMM  and  other  DGs  on  the  planning  process  during  this  period  for  the  pilot 
corporate campaign on rural areas, rolled out by DG COMM in 2019.  

5 Proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL establishing 
rules  on  support  for  strategic  plans  to  be  drawn  up  by  Member  States  under  the  Common  agricultural  policy 
(CAP Strategic Plans) and financed by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and by the European 
Agricultural  Fund  for  Rural  Development  (EAFRD)  and  repealing  Regulation  (EU)  No 1305/2013  of  the 
European Parliament and of the Council and Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 of the European Parliament and of 
the Council, COM/2018/392 final - 2018/0216 (COD) 

Proposal  for  a  REGULATION  OF  THE  EUROPEAN  PARLIAMENT  AND  OF  THE  COUNCIL  on  the 
financing,  management  and  monitoring  of  the  common  agricultural  policy  and  repealing  Regulation  (EU)  No 
1306/2013,COM/2018/393 final - 2018/0217 (COD) 

Proposal  for  a  REGULATION  OF  THE  EUROPEAN  PARLIAMENT  AND  OF  THE  COUNCIL  amending 
Regulations  (EU)  No  1308/2013  establishing  a  common  organisation  of  the  markets  in  agricultural  products, 
(EU)  No  1151/2012  on  quality  schemes  for  agricultural  products  and  foodstuffs,  (EU)  No  251/2014  on  the 
definition, description, presentation, labelling and the protection of geographical indications of aromatised wine 
products, (EU) No 228/2013 laying down specific measures for agriculture in the outermost regions of the Union 
and (EU) No 229/2013 laying down specific measures for agriculture in favour of the smaller Aegean islands 
COM/2018/394 final/2 

3 

 
 
 
                                                 
1. 

Grants  (co-financed  information  measures  taken  at  the  initiative  of  third  party 
organisations) 

Article  45  (information  measures)  of  the  Regulation  envisages  two  types  of  measures  to  be 
funded through grants, annual work programmes or other specific measures presented by third 
parties. Specific information measures refer to  information  events  limited in  time and space 
and implemented on the basis of a single budget. Such  events can range from conferences to 
a comprehensive information campaign covering several types of information activities (such 
as audiovisual productions, media events, conferences and  workshops) carried out in various 
regions  and/or  Member  States.  An  annual  work  programme  is  a  set  of  two  to  five  specific 
information measures. For 2017 and 2018, it was decided (as in previous years) to retain only 
specific information measures for co-financing, with the aim of simplifying the grants scheme 
and ensuring coherence between the different communication actions. 
For 2017, the call for proposals6 encouraged information actions which aimed to illustrate the 
CAP’s contribution to growth and jobs and viable rural communities; the role of farming and 
forestry  in  climate  adaptation  and  mitigation  measures;  sustainable  farming,  and  improving 
fairness in the agri-food supply chain. For 2018, the call for proposals7, in addition, focussed 
on  the  CAP’s  role  in  fostering  innovation  and  the  exchange  of  knowledge;  and  also  on 
encouraging young people to take up farming, and fostering healthy eating habits. 

For  both  years,  the  general  public  was  targeted  (in  particular  young  people  in  urban  areas), 
and farmers and other stakeholders active in rural areas. 

The  maximum  rate  of  co-financing  for  the  measures  referred  to  above  was  set  at  60%  of 
eligible costs. In 2017, sixteen measures were co-financed. In 2018, twenty measures were co-
financed, making a total of 36 co-financed actions (all at a rate of 60%) for the period 2017-
2018.  

In 2017 and 2018, the following actions were supported: 
-  Sixteen  grants  were  awarded  to  media  and  communications  agencies  for  measures 
promoting awareness at national level of the importance of agriculture and the rural areas for 
society as a whole. Often, these actions included pedagogical elements and awareness raising 
events on food and farming, emphasising the role of EU support and the importance of young 
farmers for the sector. 
-  Support  was  also  given  to  seven  actions  at  national  level  led  by  farmers’  associations  or 
entities with strong links to the agricultural sector. 
- two organisations active in the environmental domain at national level received support for 
measures  related  to  raising  awarenes  of  issues  related  respectively  to  sustainability,  and 
biodiversity. 
- Six actions with a significant trans-national element proposed by media companies, and one 
from an EU level environmental NGO were supported; the main focus of these cross-border 
measues was to inform EU citizens on the contribution of the CAP to their lives. 
- Also at national level, an organisation promoting education related to European citizenship, 
a county council promoting local traditional agricultural products, and a national association 
active in water/irrigation issues also received support.  

6 Call for proposals for 2017,Official Journal of the European Union, 2016/C 401/09 of 29.10.2016  
7 Call for proposals for 2018,Official Journal of the European Union, 2017/C 339/07 of 10.10.2017 

4 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
-Finally,  in  an  innovative  concept,  a  cooperative  in  the  creative  field  raising  awareness  of 
CAP  among  young  people  and  citizens  through  musical  and  artistic  events  was  also  co-
funded. 

Invariably measures included a mix of communication tools (social media, online, print and 
audiovisual)  directed  at  the  farming  community,  the  general  public  and  young  people,  and 
often including an educational dimension.  

The  calls  for  proposals  encouraged  grant  applicants  to  seek  better  definition  of  target 
audiences, better dissemination of information, and analysis of the impact of the measures in 
terms of the numbers of persons reached directly and indirectly. Applicants were required to 
submit detailed plans for their proposed measures, including project implementation, message 
delivery  and  measurement  of  effectiveness.  It  is  important  to  emphasise  that  a  considerable 
number of co-financed actions reached a wider audience beyond the immediate participants, 
thanks to the multiplier effect of the specialised press and media, as well as increased use of 
the internet and social media as dissemination tools. 

Applications were assessed in the light of rigorous eligibility, exclusion, selection and award 
criteria as laid down in the calls for proposals. This was in line with the Financial Regulation8 
and reflected the Commission's aim to achieve equal treatment and fair competition between 
applicants9. 

The  Commission  Staff  Working  Document  accompanying  this  report  gives  detailed 
information  on  the  grants  awarded  during  the  reporting  period,  including  the  number  of 
successful applications per Member State. 

2. 

Direct  actions/public  procurement  (information  measures  taken  at  the  initiative 
of the Commission) 

In 2017-2018, as in the past, an important number of information measures were carried out at 
the initiative of the Commission. 

a) Media networking 

Supporting the media with relevant user-friendly information and briefings on developments 
in  the  CAP  and  rural  development  continued,  as  previously,  to  feature  strongly  in 
communication actions. As in the past, this had a very significant multiplier effect, especially 
since development of social media and internet based communication received a strong boost 
in  this  period.  Ongoing  growth  and  maintenance  of  the  platform  for  journalists  and 
professional  communicators,  www.Ag-Press.eu,  and  the  organisation  of  study  trips  and 
seminars for Ag-Press  members  continued to  foster  close contacts  and exchanges with  both 
journalists specialising in agricultural issues, and also the non-specialist media. At the end of  

8 Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 on the 
financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union, amending Regulations (EU) No 1296/2013, (EU) 
No 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 1304/2013, (EU) No 1309/2013, (EU) No 1316/2013, (EU) No 
223/2014, (EU) No 283/2014, and Decision No 541/2014/EU and repealing Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 
966/2012, OJ L193, 30.7.2018 

9 More detailed information on grants are also to be found on the Europa website: 
 http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/grants-for-information-measures_en 

5 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
 
2018, the Ag-Press network included around 950 journalists. The network continues to be a 
valuble resource for the Commission, and a useful network for its members. DG AGRI social 
media  activity  (via  Facebook,  Twitter,  Instagram)  expanded  considerably  and  had  a  rapidly 
growing  audience.  This  was  important  in  attracting  specialists  towards  the  website  and  the 
comprehensive information and latest news, and also in reaching the general public.  

In  the  six  study  trips  during  2017  and  2018,  groups  of  journalists  had  the  opportunity  to 
experience often very different  farming conditions  in  regions  and Member States other than 
their  own.  Issues  coverered  inter  alia  included  competitiveness,  sustainability,  precision 
farming, bio-economy, and generational  renewal.  Meetings  with  farmers,  rural  dwellers  and 
business people on the ground helped to raise awareness of the challenges and opportunities 
confronting  agriculture  in  different  Member  States  and  regions.  Furthermore,  during  five 
seminars  with  the  participation  of  EU  policy  experts,  journalists  received  in-depth  insights 
into  EU  policy  developments  on  agro-food  trade,  CAP  and  the  food  chain,  quality  policy, 
innovation  in  the  sector;  and  also  the  CAP  reform  proposals  with  the  participation  of  the 
Commissioner for Agriculture and rural development and relevant MEPs. 

b) Stakeholder networking - conferences 

Stakeholders  constitute  a  very  important  multiplier  of  information  on  agricultural  and  rural 
development  issues.  Conferences  continued  to  be  an  important  forum  for  consultation  and 
dialogue on the future development of policy in the reporting period. As mentioned in Section 
III, in line with the Commission's policy priorities and emphasis on broad consultation with 
civil  society,  engagement  with  stakeholders  -  other  EU  institutions,  Member  State 
administrations,  the  EU  level  and  national  socio-professional  sector  and  the  academic 
community - was intensified in the context of the preparation of the MFF sectoral proposals; 
and also on issues such as addressing unfair trading practices in the food chain. 

This  focus  on  future  challenges  was  also  central  to  DG  AGRI’s  annual  flagship  EU 
Agricultural  Outlook  Conferences.  Opened  by  the  Commissioner  for  Agriculture  and  rural 
development, the December 2018 edition explored the latest developments on digitisation and 
innovation  in  the  farming  sector.  It  also  addressed  cooperation  on  trade  and  investment 
between the EU and Africa. In both 2017 and 2018, the conference put a strong emphasis on 
the modernisation of the CAP, and on the work undertaken together with the Joint Research 
Centre on the forecasts for the EU agricultural markets. Participants included EU institutions, 
governments and international organisations, those involved in the food supply chain, market 
experts, academics, think tanks and civil society. 

An  event  on  the  development  of  plant  proteins  in  the  EU  was  co-organised  by  the 
Commission  and the Austrian Presidency  of the  EU in  Vienna in  November 2018,  with  the 
participation  of  the  European  Parliament.  Around  200  invited  experts  from  the  agricultural 
supply chains for feed and food production, research and advisory networks, and national and 
regional  administrations  discussed  the  main  findings  of  the  Commission's  report  on  the 
development of plant proteins in the European Union; and how the existing and future policy 
framework could support the further unlocking of potential for plant protein production in the 
Union10. 

Two round tables  on the proposed  greening architecture of the new CAP  were organised in 
Brussels  in  November  and  December  2018,  in  cooperation  with  the  International  Union  for 

10https://ec.europa.eu/info/food-farming-fisheries/plants-and-plant-products/plant-products/cereals/development-

plant-proteins_en 

6 

 
 
  
 
 
                                                 
Conservation  of  Nature.  This  facilitated  an  exchange  of  views  between  stakeholders 
representing  the  agricultural  and  environmental  sectors  on  how  the  legal  proposals  on  the 
future CAP might be implemented. 

The  Agricultural  Innovation  Summit  in  Lisbon,  in  October  2017  was  another  significant 
landmark.  This  was  a  joint  initiative  between  a  Portuguese  Consortium,  the  Portuguese 
Government,  the  EIP-AGRI  network  and  the  European  Network  for  Rural  Development. 
Another important conference on EU agricultural research and innovation took place in May 
2018  providing  food  for  thought  on  how  to  engage  stakeholders  in  the  definition  of  future 
European Research and Innovation activities in the sector. 

c) General public activities 

Participation at fairs 
The  Commission's  emphasis  on  listening  and  engaging  with  citizens  and  raising  public 
awareness  about  the EU as a whole, its role and values, remained central  to  participation at 
fairs during this period. DG AGRI intensified its actions targetting citizens and stakeholders 
at  nine farm fairs with  the theme  “from  farm to  fork, sustainable food for our future”. This 
was often in cooperation with other DGs and services, including DG SANTE, DG MARE and 
DG  RTD,  as  well  as  the  Commission  representations  in  the  Member  States.  Often  the 
presence  of  the  Commissioner  for  Agriculture  and  rural  development  together  with  senior 
Member State representatives at fairs such as the International Green Week in Berlin, and the 
Salon de l’Agriculture in Paris generated intense interest and important media coverage in the 
national  and  regional  media.  Participation  was  also  ensured  in  agricultural  fairs  in  several 
other Member States. 

Efforts continued to provide attractive and effective communication material and activities for 
fairs in this period. These were often designed to appeal to families and schoolchildren. 

Educational pack for school children 
During this period, the educational pack for school children aged between eleven and fifteen 
years ("edutainment pack") was finalised, promoted and distributed through the Europe Direct 
Information  Centres  and  the  Commission  representations  in  the  Member  States,  with  the 
support of a digital and social media campaign.  

The pack aims to explain in an attractive pedagogical format the role of the farmer and farm 
families, their contribution to society and the challenges they face. Efforts to raise awareness 
of DG AGRI’s educational resources in 2018 resulted in an impressive increase in visits to the 
relevant DG AGRI webpages. 

Social Media 
As  mentioned  above,  DG  AGRI’s  social  media  accounts,  which  developed  considerably  in 
this period, continue to be an important asset when it comes to raising awareness and driving 
engagement  on  the  topic  of  the  #FutureofCAP  amongst  stakeholders,  policy  makers, 
journalists and citizens. For example, the Instagram account is helping to inform and engage 
with  young, urban audiences on food and food production issues, and therefore highlighting 
the benefits of the CAP for all citizens. 

Overall  in  this  period,  increased  use  of  graphic  design,  visual  and  audiovisual  material 
boosted  the  appeal  and  attractiveness  of  DG  AGRI’s  communication  material  for 
publications, web and social media use.  

7 

 
 
 
 
  
 
Publications 
In  the  reporting  period,  there  continued  to  be  a  strong  focus  on  the  further  development  of 
publications in electronic format. As in the past, a number of publications were produced in 
cooperation  with  the  EU  Publications  Office,  and  also  the  Office  for  Infrastructure  and 
Logistics  in  Brussels  (OIB).  New  publications  sought  to  highlight  the  European  culinary 
heritage, and policy issues including the EU sanitary and phytosanitary rules (in cooperation 
with DG SANTE). Fact sheets were  produced also to explain in particular the legal proposals 
on the modernisation and simplification of the CAP.  

Website 
The reporting period saw important changes to the Commission's web presence, designed to 
make it more user-friendly  and relevant  for the general  public.  AGRI web presence  activity 
centred on the digital transformation exercise carried out across the Commission services and 
the review of web content to improve accessibility and clarity for all users.  

The website continued also to be an important source of specialist information on agriculture 
and  rural  development.  As  in  the  past,  it  also  played  a  significant  role  in  the  process  of 
consulting stakeholders and the general public as to the future direction of  policy as regards 
agriculture and rural areas. 

On average, the web trafic increased by 30%. 

Visitors 
In  this  period,  DG  AGRI  continued  to  participate  in  information  sessions  with  groups  of 
visitors (including stakeholders, students and academics) organised by DG COMM's Visitors 
Centre. The purpose of these exchanges  was to  deepen understanding of the challenges and 
opportunities facing EU agriculture in the context of the future MFF.  

Eurobarometer 
A special Eurobarometer survey, commissioned by DG AGRI to explore public opinion about 
agriculture, rural areas and the CAP, was carried out in December 2017 in the EU28. More 
than nine in ten participants expressed the view that agriculture and rural areas are important 
for the future. Providing safe, healthy food of high quality should be the main objective of the 
EU in terms of agricultural and rural policy, with respondents urging more action inter alia on 
the environment and economic growth in rural areas.11 

11https://ec.europa.eu/commfrontoffice/publicopinion/index.cfm/Survey/getSurveyDetail/instruments/SPECIAL/

surveyKy/2161 

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IV. 

THE PROPORTION OF SPENDING (COMMITTMENTS AND PAYMENTS) 
BETWEEN  CO-FINANCED  ACTIONS  AT  THE  INITIATIVE  OF  THIRD 
PARTIES (GRANTS) AND INFORMATION ACTIONS AT THE INITIATIVE 
OF THE COMMISSION (PUBLIC PROCUREMENT)12

2017 

Grants 

Public 
procurement 

Total 

Grants 

Public 
procurement 

Total 

2018 

3.500.000 

4.500.000 

8.000.000 

4.000.000 

4.000.000 

8.000.000 

Initial 
foreseen 
budget  

Commitments 
in EUR 

3.676.801,52 
(**) 

3.980.580,45 
(**) 

7.657.381,97 

4.008.448,57 
(**) 

3.893.989,35 
(**) 

7.902.437,92 

% 
commitment 

of 

Payments 
EUR 

in 

% 
of 
disbursement 
vs 
commitment 

105,05% 

88,46% 

95,72% 

100,21% 

97,35% 

98,78% 

3.291.910,64  3.734.801,71 

7.026.711,35 

2.786.752,07 
(*) 

2.496.542,35 
(*) 

5.283.294,42 

89,53% 

93,83% 

91,76% 

69,52% 

64,11% 

66,868% 
(***) 

 (*) Payments of these actions are ongoing and not yet finalised 
(**) cf. Following the amendment of DG AGRI's 2017 and 2018 external communication action plans 
(***) Payments for 2018 measures are still ongoing. 

Payments  are  generally  lower  than  the  amounts  originally  committed.  In  the  case  of  grants, 
this can be explained by the fact that final costs of the actions are lower than initially foreseen 
by the beneficiary, and secondly, because not all expenses declared by the beneficiaries can 
be considered as eligible. In the case of actions taken at the initiative of the Commission, the 
difference between payments and commitments arises from the fact that, while commitments 
are fixed, actual expenditure is less than that foreseen due to savings and the use of more cost-
effective measures during implementation. 

12  EUR 17.180.000  –  codelegated  to  DG  Communication  in  2017  and  2018  for  Corporate  Communication 

activities is not included in this table 

9 

 
  
 
 
                                                 
 
  
 
V. 

CONCLUSION  

In the reporting period, the Commission continued to base corporate communication actions 
on its ten political  priorities, focusing on the  EU’s contribution  to  jobs  and growth, and the 
tangible benefits delivered by the EU to its citizens. 

Information  measures  carried  out  in  relation  to  the  common  agricultural  policy  and  rural 
development sought to raise awareness on the policy’s contribution to economic growth and 
vibrant rural areas, resource efficiency and climate change mitigation, as well as the provision 
of food security in the Union. 

The period was marked notably by an extensive outreach effort  to  engage with  citizens and 
stakeholders across the EU on the Commision’s reflections and response to future challenges 
and opportunities for agriculture and rural areas in the EU, in the MFF sectoral proposals. 

These  communication  measures  were  marked  by  reinforced  cooperation  between  the 
Commission services, other EU institutions and the national and regional authorities. 

10